Device for selecting a weft thread in a shuttleless loom supplied by external spools

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for selecting a weft thread in a loom without shuttle, or otherwise expressed, in a loom which is supplied by lateral spools external to it, the device comprising a plate configured to define an opening on one side of a passageway and having a recess on the other side; a movable latch disposed within the plate, adapted to open and close the passageway as a function of the position of the batten of the loom; and a slide piece adapted to carry selected weft threads through the recess and passageway to and from the opening defined by the plate. For multi-color looms a rack bar is included to hold weft threads of different colors and natures.

Palencher 1 Nov. 25, 1975 DEVICE FOR SELECTING A WEFT THREAD IN A SHUTTLELESS LOOM SUPPLIED BY EXTERNAL SPOOLS lnventor: Jacques Palencher, Troyes, France Assignee: Societe Lebocey Industrie, Troyes (Aube), France Filed: Jan. 13, 1975 Appl. No.: 540,561

Related U.S. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 308,468, Nov. 21, 1972, abandoned.

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 24, 1971 France 71.42129 U.S. Cl. 139/122; 139/122 W Int. Cl. D03D 47/38 Field of Search 139/122 R; 122 W, 123,

3,727,647 4/1973 Laval 139/122 W Primary ExaminerHenry S. Jaudon Attorney, Agent, or FirmSpensley, Horn and Lubitz [57] ABSTRACT The invention relates to a device for selecting a weft thread in a loom without shuttle, or otherwise expressed, in a loom which is supplied by lateral spools external to it, the device comprising a plate configured to define an opening on one side of a passageway and having a recess on the other side; a movable latch disposed within the plate, adapted to open and close the passageway as a function of the position of the batten of the loom; and a slide piece adapted to carry selected weft threads through the recess and passageway to and from the opening defined by the plate, For multi-color looms a rack bar is included to hold weft threads of different colors and natures.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 l2 k w wwwai- DEVICE FOR SELECTING A WEFT THREAD IN A SHUTTLELESS LOOM SUPPLIED BY EXTERNAL SPOOLS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a device for selecting a weft thread in a loom which is without a shuttle; that is, in a loom havinga thread feed comprising lateral spools external to the loom. A loom is fitted with two of the invented devices, one of each side thereof, placed laterally with respect to the woven cloth.

In this type of loom, the projectile of the loom is displaced in a reciprocating motion through the shed. As it moves either to the left or to the right side of the loom, it grasps the end of a weft thread by means of pincer hooks and pulls it between the two warp threads forming the shed. Since for each displacement of the projectile, from right to left or left to right, the weft thread coming from one spool is replaced by a weft thread coming from another spool, it is very important that the weft thread be accurately positioned at the instant when it is grasped and pulled by the projectile.

An object, therefore, of the present invention is to ensure that each weft thread is maintained in a correct position while it is grasped and pulled by the projectile of the loom, and also to remove the end of each weft thread after it has been pulled through the shed in order to eject it from the projectile.

Another object of the invention is to enable the weft thread to be positioned accurately in either a one-color loom or a multi-color loom. In a one-color loom, the weft thread is always the same color for each displacement of the projectile in a given direction. In a multicolored loom, the weft thread can be of a different color or nature for each displacement of the projectile in a given direction.

The device according to the present invention is comprised of (i) a plate having two members which define a V-shaped open space; (ii) a passageway in the plate at the apex of the V formed by the two members; (iii) a movable latch disposed within the lower of the two members and adapted to cover the passageway; (iv) a lever pivotably mounted within the upper of the two members and adapted to displace the latch so that it does not cover the passageway; (v) a recess formed in the plate to the rear of the opening and in communication therewith; and (vi) a slide piece slidably mounted in a slideway in the plate located to the rear of the recess, the slide piece being adapted to pass through the recess and through the passageway into the V-shaped open space when the latch is displaced. The present invention also contemplates a rack bar slidably mounted in a vertically disposed, partially open groove in the plate immediately to the rear of the passageway, the rack bar being adapted to hold and position weft threads of different colors or natures in a multi-color loom. The operation of the invented device is described hereinbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects and advantages of this invention will become clear from the detailed description now made with reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a device in ac- Cordance with the present invention, positioned laterally with respect to a piece of cloth being made;

2 FIG. 2 is a partially broken away, side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a close up view of the portion of FIG. 2 within the circular line 4-4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invented device is comprised of a plate 6 having, at one end thereof, upper and lower members 6 and 6,, respectively, each being generally triangular in shape. Members 6, and 6 are disposed adjacent to one another so as to define a V-shaped open space or opening 7 as shown most clearly in FIG. 1. A passageway is formed between the two members 6, and 6 at the apex of the V-shaped opening 7. Immediately to the rear of the passageway is a recess 9 formed in the plate 6. Recess 9 is in communication with the opening 7 through the passageway.

A latch 8 is provided at one end of a latching member 8,, the latter being movably disposed within a slot in lower member 6, of plate 6. Depending upon the position of latching member 8,, the latch 8 either covers or does not cover the passageway between the V-shaped opening 7 and the rear recess 9; i.e., the position of latching member 8, determines whether the passageway is open or closed. A spring 10, disposed beneath latching member 8,, constantly pushes it in an upward direction. When no force is impressed upon latching member 8, in a direction opposite to that of the springs force, its normal position is such that latch 8 covers the passageway between the opening 7 and the recess 9.

A generally L-shaped lever 11 is mounted within a slot in an upper member 6 of the plate 6, the axis of rotation of lever 11 being located at point 11 near the front end of the member 6 One end of the lever l 1 extends generally upward in the vertical direction while the second end thereof 11, extends generally rearward in the horizontal direction. The lever 11 is caused to pivot about point 1 1 in the direction of arrow F, by the action of the batten tripping a rod 11 connected to said upward extending end of lever 11. The second end 11, of the lever 11 is disposed above the upper surface 8 of the latching member 8, near the apex of the V- shaped opening. A spring 12 is disposed within the slot in upper member 6 between the front end thereof and the lever l 1 just above the pivoting point 11 The force exerted by spring 12 pulls the upward extending arm of lever 11 generally forward so that, in its normal position, end 11, does not act upon the latching member 8,. However, the tripping action of the batten on rod 11 pushes the upward extending arm of the lever 11 in the direction of the arrow F,, generally opposite to the direction of the force of spring 12, thereby causing the lever 11 to pivot about point 11 When lever 11 is so pivoted, its end 11, moves down to engage the upper surface 8 of the latching member 8,. The force exerted by end 11, upon latching member 8, causes it to lower against the force of spring 10, thereby lowering the latch 8 away from the passageway at the apex of the V- shaped opening 7. The pivoting of lever 11 occurs at the moment the weft thread is beat up, just after it has been pulled through the shed.

Further to rear, i.e., the direction away from the passageway, a vertically disposed groove 4 is provided in the plate 6. Groove 4 is in communication with the recess 9. An elongated opening 5 is hollowed out in the 3 groove 4. A rack bar 1 (shown in FIG. 2) is movable up and down in groove 4. The rack bar I, designed primarily for use in multi-color looms, has a plurality of teeth 2. Disposed in notches between the teeth 2 are the various weft threads 3 which are brought successively through the shed according to the program defined by the design to be made on the fabric. The teeth 2 of rack bar I extend across elongated opening 5. Thus, the various weft threads 3 can pass through the elongated opening 5 and into the notches between teeth 2. In the case of a one-color loom, the rack bar 1 would remain stationary or, alternatively, could be eliminated together with the groove 4 and the elongated opening 5.

A slide piece 13 is slideably mounted within a slideway 14 formed in the plate 6 rearward from the recess 9. The slide piece 13 has a special housing 13 at one end thereof adapted to receive the thread which has been selected. The slide piece 13 is movable in the slideway 14 through the recess 9 and, if the latch 8 is depressed by the lever 11,, into the V-shaped opening 7.

In operation, the rack bar 1 moves in the groove 4 during the movement of the projectile so as to place a new weft thread 3 of a particular color and/or nature at the level of recess 9. Meanwhile, the pivoting of lever 11 causes end 11, thereof to push against the upper surface 8 of latching member 8,, forcing the latter down into the slot in member 6 While the lever 11 pivots and the latching member 8 moves downward, the end 11 of lever 11 continually maintains its engagement with the upper surface 8 of latching member 8 by sliding downward along the surface 8 As a consequence, both the latch 8 and the end 11 move away from the passageway between the V-shaped opening 7 and the recess 9, thereby opening the same. The weft thread 3 which has been selected by the displacement of the rack bar 1, is then ready to be moved into position in the opening 7. The slide piece 13 is pushed in the forward direction toward the recess 9, enabling the housing 13 to engage the thread 3 and carry it through the recess 9 and the opened passageway into the V-shaped opening 7. When the lever 11 returns to its normal position the weft thread 3 is left in the opening 7 while the passageway is closed by latch 8. Thus, the weft thread is maintained in the correct position so that it can travel through the shed without any risk of being pinched when it is grasped by the projectile.

The weft threads are caught by the pincer hook of the projectile (not shown) alternately at the right and left sides of the loom. When the projectile shifts from the left to the right in the loom, the lever 11 ofthe invented device on the left side of the loom is activated so as to open the passageway of that device, thereby allowing the weft thread which has just been shot into the shed and ejected from the pincer hook to pass back to its notch in rack bar 1. During the same shift of the projectile, the lever 11 of the invented device on the right side of the loom is activated so as to open the passageway of the device, thereby allowing the selected weft thread to be pushed into the opening 7 by slide piece 13 of the device. When the projectile shifts from the right to the left side of the loom, the above-described operations occur in the opposite devices; i.e., the weft thread in the right side device is returned to its notch in the corresponding rack bar 1, while a newly selected weft thread passes into the opening 7 of the left side device.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the example of its embodiment herein above-described and illustrated and that, on the basis of it, other formsand other embodiments can be invisaged without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for selecting a weft thread in a shuttleless loom comprising:

a. a plate having first and second members which define an open space thereinbetween, said plate further having a recess therein, said recess being in communication with said open space through a passageway between said members;

latching means for opening and closing said passageway, said latching means being movably dis-; posed within said members of said plate and adapted to being tripped by the batten of said loom, the tripping action of said batten activating said latching means; i

c. sliding means disposed within saidplate, said slid-' ing means being adapted to engage a selected weft thread and to move back and forth through said recess and into said open space when said latching means opens said passageway, whereby, a weft thread is alternately selected and passed into said open space and passed back therefrom to said recess.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said,

latching means is comprised of (i) a latching member movably disposed within a first slot in said first member of said plate, said latching member having at one end i opening said passageway between said open sapce and said recess.

3. The device according to claim 2 having in addition V thereto (i) a first spring means coupled to said latching member, said first spring exerting a force thereto so that, in the absence of a counter force exerted by said lever, said latch covers said passageway; and (ii) a'second spring means coupled to said lever, said second spring exerting a force thereto so that, prior to the tripping action of said batten, said end of said lever is maintained in a non-engaging position with respect to said upper surface of said latching member.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein said open A 7 space defined by said first and second members is generally V-shaped and said passageway is located at the I apex of said V. i

5. The device according to claim 1 having in addition thereto a rack bar movably disposed within a generally vertical groove in said plate, said groove being located rearward from said recess and in communication therewith, said groove further having a hollowed-out portion, said rack bar having ,a plurality of teeth and notches thereinbetween adapted to hold various weft threads, the section of a particular weft thread being made by the motion of said rack bar so as to position a particular notch thereof at the level of said recess. 

1. A device for selecting a weft thread in a shuttleless loom comprising: a. a plate having first and second members which define an open space thereinbetween, said plate further having a recess therein, said recess being in communication with said open space through a passageway between said members; b. latching means for opening and closing said passageway, said latching means being movably disposed within said members of said plate and adapted to being tripped by the batten of said loom, the tripping action of said batten activating said latching means; c. sliding means disposed within said plate, said sliding means being adapted to engage a selected weft thread and to move back and forth through said recess and into said open space when said latching means opens said passageway, whereby, a weft thread is alternately selected and passed into said open space and passed back therefrom to said recess.
 2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said latching means is comprised of (i) a latching member movably disposed within a first slot in said first member of said plate, said latching member having at one end thereof a latch adapted to cover said passageway; and (ii) a lever pivotably mounted within a second slot in said second member of said plate, one end of said lever engaging the upper surface of said latching member when said lever is pivoted, said end thereof exerting a force upon said latching member so as to cause said latching member to move into said first slot, thereby opening said passageway between said open sapce and said recess.
 3. The device according to claim 2 having in addition thereto (i) a first spring means coupled to said latching member, said first spring exerting a force thereto so that, in the absence of a counter force exerted by said lever, said latch covers said passageway; and (ii) a second spring means coupled to said lever, said second spring exerting a force thereto so that, prior to the tripping action of said batten, said end of said lever is maintained in a non-engaging position with respect to said upper surface of said latching member.
 4. The device according to claim 1 wherein said open space defined by said first and second members is generally V-shaped and said passageway is located at the apex of said V.
 5. The device according to claim 1 having in addition thereto a rack bar movably disposed within a generally vertical groove in said plate, said groove being located rearward from said recess and in communication therewith, said groove further having a hollowed-out portion, said rack bar having a plurality of teeth and notches thereinbetween adapted to hold various weft threads, the section of a particular weft thread being made by the motion of said rack bar so as to position a particular notch thereof at the level of said recess. 